Manville History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Today's generation of the Manville family bears a name that was brought to England by the migration wave that was started by the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Manville family lived in Mandeville, near Valognes, Cotentin, Normandy. In Mandeville, the Norman Manville family were nobles who possessed a castle and vast estates. 1

"Upon the first arrival in England of the Conqueror, there was amongst his companions a famous soldier, called Geffray de Magnavil, so designated from the town of Magnavil in the Duchy of Normandy, who obtained as his share in the spoil of conquest, divers fair and wide spreading domains in the counties of Berks, Suffolk, Middlesex, Surrey, Oxford, Cambridge, Harts, Northampton, Warwick, and Essex. The grandson of this richly gifted noble, another Geoffrey de Mandeville, was advanced by King Stephen to the Earldom of Essex." 2

Early Origins of the Manville family

The surname Manville was first found in Wiltshire where they were anciently granted lands by William Duke of Normandy for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. Geoffrey (Goisfrid) de Mandeville (c.1100) was an important Domesday tenant-in-chief; he was granted large estates in Essex, and in ten other shires by William, and was Constable of the Tower of London. 3

They were granted no less than 118 Lordships after the Conquest. William's descendent Geoffrey de Mandeville (d. 1144,) was created the 1st Earl of Essex, a title which became extinct in the 12th century after the death of the 3rd Earl.

The chief seat of the Mandevilles was at Walden in Essex, but many junior lines abounded. "Jehan de Mandeville", translated as "Sir John Mandeville", was noted as the compiler of a singular book of supposed travels, written in Anglo-Norman French, published between 1357 and 1371. They were Lords of the Manor of Earl's Stoke, in Wiltshire and also were granted lands in Devon.

Early rolls proved their widespread influence. Ernulf de Mandeuill was recorded in the Pipe Rolls for Wiltshire in 1158 and later, William de Manevell was found in Berkshire in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1210. Willaim de Manewell was registered in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Nigel de Manderville, Berkshire; and Ernald de Maundeville, Suffolk. 5

The Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I listed Walter de Maundevill, Kent, 20 Edward I (during the twentieth year of King Edward I's reign.) 6

Early History of the Manville family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Manville research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1189, 1357, 1371, 1670 and 1733 are included under the topic Early Manville History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Manville Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Manville were recorded, including Mansville, Manvell, Mandeville, Magneville, Magnevilla, Manville, Mannevill, Manneville, Mandevile, Mansvile, Mansville, Mandevill, Manvill, Mansvill, Mansvil, Mandevil, Mandervil, Mandervill, Manderville, Mandavile, Mandavil, Mandavill, Mandaville, Mandavall, Mandavalle, Mandaval, Mandvill, Mandville, Mandvil and many more.

Early Notables of the Manville family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was "Jehan de Mandeville", better known as "Sir John Mandeville", (fl. 1357), English knight born at St. Albans, who complied "The Travels of Sir John Mandeville," a book account of his supposed travels throughout Europe published between 1357 and 1371; William de Mandeville (d. 1189), 3rd Earl...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Manville Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Manville family to Ireland

Some of the Manville family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 41 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Manville migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Manville arrived in North America very early:

Manville Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mathew W Manville, who arrived in Arkansas in 1892 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Manville (post 1700) +

Charles J. Manville, American businessman who developed the Manville gun was a stockless, semi-automatic, revolver type gun in 1935
Thomas Franklyn "Tommy" Manville Jr. (1894-1967), American socialite and heir to the Johns-Manville asbestos fortune
C. B. Manville, American businessman and founder of Manville Covering Company in 1885 which later became known as Johns Manville, an American corporation based in Denver, Colorado
James H. Manville, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Washington County 2nd District, 1886-87 8
Zoe Manville (b. 1984), born Zoe Estressa, an English actress from Yorkshire, known for Rad Lands (2017) and Austin City Limits (1975)
Lesley Ann Manville OBE (b. 1956), English Academy Award nominated actress from Brighton, East Sussex, known for her Another Year (2010), All or Nothing (2002), Topsy-Turvy (1999), Secrets & Lies (1996)
George Manville Fenn (1831-1909), English author
Manville S. Hodgson, American Republican politician, Member of Wisconsin State Assembly, 1875 9

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html